Karnataka BJP not amused by C P Yogeshwar's 'mediation' over Vinay Kulkarni

The BJP high command is not amused by MLC and former minister C P Yogeshwar's 'efforts' to bring Congress leader and Dharwad strongman Vinay Kulkarni into the party fold.

Senior leaders in the BJP informed DH that though attempts were made by Kulkarni to meet senior party office bearers, including party national president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he could not meet them over the last three days.

Sources said, Yogeshwar had misused the names of BJP national Secretary B L Santosh and other office-bearers to arrange a meeting with top BJP leaders. However, the leaders were not interested in meeting Kulkarni, whose name is being dragged into the Dharwad ZP member Yogeshgouda Goudar's murder case.

While local BJP leaders claimed that he might have tried to join the BJP after being 'neglected' by the Congress after his three defeats (two parliamentary and one assembly election), others claimed that it was last-ditch attempt to save himself from tightening nose in the Yogeshgouda case.

'Not leaving party'

Meanwhile, Hubballi-Dhawrad Mahanagara District Congress President Altaf Hallur said, Vinay Kulkarni had no plans of joining the BJP. "Earlier, there were attempts made by local BJP leaders to poach him into the BJP by threatening to drag him in Yogeshgouda's case. Kulkarni did not budge and remained in the party," said Altaf.

However, rumours are thick that Vinay has been knocking the doors of the BJP’s national leaders in New Delhi and seeking their permission to join the saffron party. Sources said he was camping in Delhi for the last five days, trying to meet the top leaders of the saffron party.

Kulkarni was unavailable for response.

Shettar scotches rumours about Kulkarni

Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar on Tuesday dismissed rumours about former Congress minister Vinay Kulkarni joining the BJP.

These are all rumours. No BJP leader from the district is in touch with Vinay Kulkarni, Shettar told reporters on the reports of Kulkarni joining the BJP.

"I am district in-charge minister. The party leaders, both state and national, have not spoken to me on Vinay joining the BJP. There's no discussion about it at the local level," Shettar said.